Tag Archives: Jorge Luis Garcia

A controversial constitutional amendment that limits the length of time that lawmakers can stay in office will force more than one-third of the senators out of their chamber by the end of next year, a massive revamp unprecedented in recent years.

Legislative leaders from both parties were guardedly optimistic they would reach an agreement when they began negotiating a solution to the fiscal 2010 deficit with the governor last month, and even when it appeared the talks were faltering, some saw hope as long as the parties kept talking.

With the clock ticking, lawmakers and the governor held a series of closed-door meetings leading up to the Sept. 5 deadline for action on a slate of budget bills.
But the negotiations did not produce the outcome Gov. Jan Brewer had desired - a bipartisan coalition of support for a special election to temporarily raise the sales tax to help balance the budget.

With three days left until the governor needs to act on the budget, Sen. Jorge Luis Garcia, Sen. President Bob Burns and Gov. Jan Brewer met again this morning on the ninth floor to discuss a proposal laid out by Senate Democrats...

It seems everyone who is involved in the five -party talks is maintaining a very effective press silence. Much of the information about the meetings comes second- or third-hand from lawmakers who talk with or are briefed by one of the principals.

Republican and Democratic leaders met with Gov. Jan Brewer on Aug. 21, the first such meeting during the special session that the governor called in order for the Legislature to pass a budget packet that includes her proposal for a sales tax referral.

“I look at the executive branch, and at a certain point, this relentlessness is to be admired. This absolute fight to the death is to be admired. But at another point, it becomes childish, and you’ve got to bring the ...